Engadgetreported two weeks ago
that a new revision of the Xbox 360, Zephyr,
was due to be launched this year. Engadget posted a rather grainy image of an
Xbox 360 which sported an HDMI port for native 1080p support. Xbox-Scene followed up with some clearer shots of the HDMI port
along with a revised motherboard featuring the new HANA scaler chip.

Along with the new HDMI port, Engadget also reported that a new 120GB hard drive would be
included in addition to already anticipated cooler-running 65 nanometer IBM
Xenon PowerPC processor.

Not surprisingly, the inclusion of an HDMI port sparked the
most debate on the internet. Discussion boards across the web turned into flame
zones as techies argued back and forth over whether Microsoft was justified in
releasing an HDMI-equipped Xbox 360.

When Microsoft was asked directly, Microsoft's Chris Satchell confirmed
the existence of prototype Xbox 360s with an HDMI ports, but declined to
expound on the possibility of seeing it in the future. Satchell also deflected questioning
on the larger 120GB hard drive.

While Satchell deflected questioning on the possibility of a
larger hard drive for IPTV, Gates simply said that it isn't needed.
"In an IPTV environment, there is no reason to put anything down on a hard
disk because you created a broadband infrastructure that has enough capacity to
stream individual video streams to everybody on the network," said Gates.
"In terms of videos and music, there is no reason to put it on the local
hard disk."

Bill Gates also made mention that content providers are
likely to be elated with the idea that no IPTV content would be stored on the
Xbox 360's hard drive. “It means you can insert ads that are up to date. You
can control how much ad skipping you allow. And you’re less vulnerable to
getting at the bits. Xbox is a very protected environment. No one is going to
go and get bits on an Xbox.” He went on to say “By being more secure than
anything else out there, it’s pretty good. It’s really just the simplicity. You
have to get permissions to do server-based DVR. You have to get the copyright
owner’s permission.”

Also, contrary to what Paul Thurrott said in the January 12 edition of the Windows Weekly, no
new revision of the Xbox 360 will be needed for users to take advantage of
IPTV. "No, we don’t need to change it at all to do an IPTV thing."

Takahashi questioned Gates on the subject of the Xbox
360 competing head to head with Windows Media Center PCs. "Xbox has a
slightly better hardware protection model. We may have some content we don’t
get for everywhere. It’s very valid to point out that some of the good things
we are doing in Media Center we should share with Xbox and some of the good
things we are doing on Xbox we should share with the Media Center," Gates responded.

He added "If people are comparing Microsoft to
Microsoft, we have no concern. It’s OK. Should we pick one form factor and
worry about that? Should we be concerned if someone puts their media on my Zune
or media on my Blackjack? There is enough uncertainty about who wants PC coming
down in the living room and Xbox coming up that I don’t mind them meeting and
even overlapping as long as the point system, the user interface, the
development tools - as long as we get this incredible alignment.”

Gates also took the time to take a few jabs at Sony's
PlayStation 3. Gates stated that Sony wouldn't have anything better-looking
than the upcoming Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. "They were going to have the
Cell be the video processor. But they didn’t know what they were doing. They
said the Cell is the video processor. But they turned to Nvidia at the last
minute, but Nvidia can’t do embedded DRAM. Go look at the bandwidth problems.
Go ask the guys running ... now."

Gates seems very optimistic about the future of the Xbox
360 in the interview and is looking forward to working with content providers
like AT&T for IPTV. Though Microsoft is downplaying the importance of
hard drives larger than the 20GB currently in use (actually, only about 13GB are
useable), the company is more likely than not to cave in to the demands of
gamers and the market to deliver a considerable boost in storage.

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Then do what millions of consumers did when Sony did the same thing and DON'T BUY IT!!!

My informal survey based upon people whining about DRM leads me to the conclusion that those who most actively whine are the ones most likely to share MP3s with their friends. I thought I had a fairly respectable 250 CD collection; after most were ripped to my computer they took about just under 10GB. I still don't know how it's possible for so many people to have a 60GB iPod chock-a-block with music unless they have over a 1000+ CD collection (and I would call those rare, indeed) or have "shared" music with their friends. My point is that I've never had a problem with DRM because any legitimate use can be accommodated; if anything, the legal usage is made that much more convoluted because of illegal usage.

But don't blame the industry for being "greedy" or lacking "business foresight" for not being on the new business model; blame your friends for stealing music from many wealthy people who'd legitimately like to get paid for it. If you don't like the price of a CD, that doesn't justify stealing its content...

I think it's funny how upset people get when a business model is not tailored to their specific needs and/or wants. How dare Bill Gates think of putting commercials to either a. offset cost or b. make money(oh noes). Seriously, what do you think microsoft is. It's a business. They WANT to make money. They are not here to make your life more enjoyable, easier, or fun. They want to sell a product or service to make money to buy stuff (see George Carlin for def. of "stuff"). As new as a concept as that may sound to some...that's the way things have been FOREVER. (minus the communists)

As far as DRM...exactly. The people who gripe the MOST about DRM are those who are or want to do something "illegal". Or those who wish to interpret the law to allow them to do things for themselves. I'm no angel when it comes to obtaining music, but I'm also not bitching that companies don't make it super easy to share out music illegally. That's just spoiled brats with the mindset that it should be ok to steal, because they can't afford to buy everything they want.

I will blame the industry! I want to be able to download a song (a dollar) and put it wherever I damn well please! (my console, my Creative Muvo2 FM, my computer, a CD) without paying 1 dollar for each location, dammit! I don't want to spend 10 to 15 dollars to get a rechargeable kit for my wireless 360 controller when a 2-5 dollar usb cable should be enough! I don't want to spend 60-100 dollars on a USB wireless adapter when a 10 dollar one will do just fine. And I don't want to spend 50-100 dollars for a 20 GB HDD when I can get a 160 GB one and a 3.5" to 2.5" adapter for less than that. And on top of that, they made the plug from the wall to the AC adapter with a notch so that you can't use standard plugs and you have to use theirs! What the FUCK! And if I am paying 40-50 dollars a month for High Definition Digital Cable with HD DVR, I should be able to record a show or movie and transfer it to a DVD so I can watch it whenever I want and not use up space on my DVR. So I WILL blame the industry for being greedy because THEY ARE. And seriously, they're wealthy...FUCK THEM! They are getting paid enough with making songs for movies, being IN movies, getting sponsorship, and performing in concerts (and of course the loyal that buy their CDs). I'm not saying download for free everything, I am saying let us have some leniency.

quote: I will blame the industry! I want to be able to download a song (a dollar) and put it wherever I damn well please! (my console, my Creative Muvo2 FM, my computer, a CD) without paying 1 dollar for each location, dammit!

Ok...download it from the company that provides the song for a dollar without DRM. Don't get mad at the way a company provides a service. Don't get pissed at iTunes because they made sure they're stuff works with the ipod, but won't work with your Muvo. Don't be suprised that the iTunes(Apple) service works with the iPod(Apple again, holy cow - conspiracy!!!) but not everything else you want. Shame on them for supporting their own product but not everything else. It should be on Apples iTunes shoulders to provide music to be listened to on any medium. /fantasyland

quote: I don't want to spend 10 to 15 dollars to get a rechargeable kit for my wireless 360 controller when a 2-5 dollar usb cable should be enough! I don't want to spend 60-100 dollars on a USB wireless adapter when a 10 dollar one will do just fine. And I don't want to spend 50-100 dollars for a 20 GB HDD when I can get a 160 GB one and a 3.5" to 2.5" adapter for less than that.

When you make a console and controller you can make sure to make it all use standard connections so that you have no opportunity to make money on accessories (did you sleep through ecomomics?)

quote:So I WILL blame the industry for being greedy because THEY ARE. And seriously, they're wealthy...FUCK THEM! They are getting paid enough with making songs for movies, being IN movies, getting sponsorship, and performing in concerts (and of course the loyal that buy their CDs). I'm not saying download for free everything, I am saying let us have some leniency.

Sounds like someone has a little jealousy there. Don't hate on others because they are making money. Everything you are bitching about are products or services provided by companies whose primary goal is to make money. Not to make your life easier or fun - as I said above. And the thought that they are wealthy enough...c'mon now, that's just silly. "Ok MSoft...you guys have enough $ now...go ahead and start providing for free for all us broke ass people that don't have real paying jobs."

"This is about the Internet. Everything on the Internet is encrypted. This is not a BlackBerry-only issue. If they can't deal with the Internet, they should shut it off." -- RIM co-CEO Michael Lazaridis